Fit to work? Police officers are failing their required fitness tests that will become compulsory in September

Hundreds of police officers continue to fail new fitness tests which are set to become mandatory in a few weeks time, new figures reveal.

As of September, constables will have to take an annual shuttle run test - known as a 'bleep test'.

But at least 352 officers have been branded 'unsatisfactory' in practice tests so far.

According to figures released by the College of Policing, some 138 of the 10,265 male officers who took part (one per cent) failed.

Of 3,693 female officers, 214 fell short - an average of six per cent.

The new fitness testing, which will become compulsory in two weeks' time, was brought in after recommendations made by Chief Inspector of Constabulary Tom Winsor.

The Winsor recommendations stated that
all officers should be made to take a 'bleep' test annually, with
participants having to complete a 15-metre shuttle run in shorter and
shorter periods, reaching level 5.4 - four shuttles at level 5.

If an officer fails the fitness test at the first attempt, it is advised that at least two retakes are permitted before forces use 'unsatisfactory performance' against the participating officer.

Rose Bartlett, recruitment standards policy manager at the College of Policing, which has released fitness test guidance for forces, said: 'The results show that the vast majority of officers tested are fit.

'The new guidance issued to forces has been designed to provide supportive measures to help officers to pass and the College has now commissioned research in order to understand why women and older officers have a lower pass rate.

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'The College will continue to monitor the results of police fitness tests and support forces in helping officers to pass.'

The worst failure rates were seen in North Yorkshire with 16.2 per cent, Lancashire with 6.4 per cent and South Yorkshire with 5.4 per cent.

Failing: Figures have shown at least 350 officers are not fit enough to pass the basic running test

In the latest results, Humberside and Surrey were the only two forces who boasted a 100 per cent pass rates for across all officers.

Today’s results follow a batch of nearly 30,000 police fitness tests, published by the College in May, which showed officers had an overall pass rate of 97 per cent.

The figures from 37 forces showed male officers achieved an average pass rate of 99 per cent, while female officers achieved an average pass rate of 92 per cent.

Since the College began collecting results from forces in September 2013, which ran until May 2014, a total of 42,197 officers attended the test and 41,038 passed, giving an overall pass rate of 97 per cent.